TCF's ECCE Program is making an impact

When Belinda and Kalisti, both age 4, began the 2021 Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) Program at RVCV, they didn’t know their letters and numbers, couldn’t recognize most shapes and colors, and were shy around their classmates and teachers. After just four short months, their improvements have been quite impressive. Belinda has mastered A-J, 1-10, shapes and colors, and always plays well with her classmates. Kalisti has also mastered the beginning of the alphabet, 1-6, and is great at sharing during playtime with his peers!

In order to help kids in our ECCE Program grasp these important concepts, students focus on one letter and one number each month under a different learning theme. From being able to answer questions about themselves (name, age, favorite things, etc.) to colors and shapes to the body and five senses, the themes serve as the foundation for all the activities that go on that month. Through auditory, visual, and kinesthetic activities which focus on repetition, visual aids, and matching games, students with a variety of learning styles are able to master these new concepts.

Introducing English language skills is also an important component of the ECCE program because it equips students with the tools to excel at primary and secondary school. When Kalisti and Belinda began the ECCE Program last July, they both had no English comprehension skills. Now they can understand and follow directions in English and will repeat words, a key indicator of their language development.

As we start rolling out our five-year strategic plan, we will be focusing on growing our ECCE Program. We can’t wait to serve more children like Belinda and Kalitsi in the years ahead.